lated the
curious history of the sack, then went on to speak in warm terms of
Hadleyburg's old and well-earned reputation for spotless honesty, and of
the town's just pride in this reputation. He said that this reputation
was a treasure of priceless value; that under Providence its value had
now become inestimably enhanced, for the recent episode had spread this
fame far and wide, and thus had focussed the eyes of the American world
upon this village, and made its name for all time, as he hoped and
believed, a synonym for commercial incorruptibility. [Applause.] "And
who is to be the guardian of this noble fame--the community as a whole?
No! The responsibility is individual, not communal. From this day forth
each and every one of you is in his own person its special guardian, and
individually responsible that no harm shall come to it. Do you--does
each of you--accept this great trust? [Tumultuous assent.] Then all is
well. Transmit it to your children and to your children's children. To-
day your purity is beyond reproach--see to it that it shall remain so. To-
day there is not a person in your community who could be beguiled to
touch a penny not his own--see to it that you abide in this grace. ["We
will! we will!"] This is not the place to make comparisons between
ourselves and other communities--some of them ungracious towards us; they
have their ways, we have ours; let us be content. [Applause.] I am
done. Under my hand, my friends, rests a stranger's eloquent recognition
of what we are; through him the world will always henceforth know what we
are. We do not know who he is, but in your name I utter your gratitude,
and ask you to raise your voices in indorsement."

The house rose in a body and made the walls quake with the thunders of
its thankfulness for the space of a long minute. Then it sat down, and
Mr. Burgess took an envelope out of his pocket. The house held its
breath while he slit the envelope open and took from it a slip of paper.
He read its contents--slowly and impressively--the audience listening
with tranced attention to this magic document, each of whose words stood
for an ingot of gold:

"'The remark which I made to the distressed stranger was this: "You are
very far from being a bad man; go, and reform."'" Then he continued:--"We
shall know in a moment now whether the remark here quoted corresponds
with the one concealed in the sack; and if that shall prove to be so--and
it undo